FOX sets 2011-2012 schedule

FOX has set its fall and spring schedules for the 2011-2012 season, using “The X Factor” as a Wednesday and Thursday staple for the fall just as “American Idol” is now set on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the spring.

That means that “The X Factor” will air performance episodes on Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will be used as a launching pad for the new comedy “I Hate My Teenage Daughter,” with the Jaime Pressly comedy scheduled to remain in the 9:30 p.m. slot in the spring after “Idol.” And Thursdays will be an hour-long “X Factor” results show, followed by “Bones,” though with the “Bones” spinoff “The Finder” taking the slot for part of the spring.

FOX is clearly counting on “X Factor” to hit big.

The network is also counting on “Terra Nova” overcoming some delays and less-than-flawless spring buzz to take the Monday 8 p.m. slot for the fall, leading into “House,” which has taken a bit of a beating in recent months. FOX will then shift “House” back to 8 p.m. in the spring, leading into the new drama “Alcatraz,” from J.J. Abrams.

On Tuesdays, FOX will continue to have “Glee” leading things off. The new comedy “The New Girl,” starring Zooey Deschanel, will take the 9 p.m. half-hour, leading into “Raising Hope.” That will remain unchanged for spring.

Note for Wednesdays and Thursdays that FOX has currently set “American Idol” to premiere its 11th season on a Sunday, specifically January 22 at 10 p.m. after the NFC Championship Game. That may or may not change if FOX determines that potentially valuable real estate could be used for a midseason drama.

Continuing with FOX’s schedule, Fridays will remain untouched, with “Kitchen Nightmares” and “Fringe” settled in. Saturdays will also remain mostly the same, with “COPS” leading into a mixture of “America’s Most Wanted” specials and encores.

Sundays will continue to be Animation Domination, with “The Cleveland Show” at 7:30 leading into “The Simpsons” at 8 p.m. The Jonah Hill-voiced “Allen Gregory” will take the 8:30 slot in the fall, while an animated take on “Napoleon Dynamite” will be there in the spring. “Family Guy” and “American Dad” will follow. “Bob’s Burgers” will return in the spring at 9:30 taking over for “American Dad.”

FOX also has the Kiefer Sutherland drama “Touch” set for spring at some point. “Family Album” and “Little in Common,” a pair of comedies, are also floating around for midseason.

“Going into next year, we’ve rejuvenated ‘American Idol,’ built a core strength across the week and developed a really fresh, creative new lineup for next season,” states FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. “From razor-sharp comedies to epic dramas to a massive talent competition series, I think we have the goods to continue to be pop culture”s most vibrant platform, as well as the top network.”

I love HOUSE at 9pm, but wouldnâ€™t move it up to 8pm come Spring 2012. Would not have renewed RAISING HOPE. It was renewed too soon, and the ratings donâ€™t justify a second season. CLEVELAND SHOW and AMERICAN DAD also have ratings that donâ€™t justify renewals, and seeing how bad AMERICAN DAD has done in syndication, it blows my mind how it keeps getting renewed. I wouldâ€™ve opened up a new animation domination block after GLEE with NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and BOBâ€™S BURGERS, and put THE NEW GIRL behind AMERICAN IDOL.

I am disappointed that Bob’s Burgers and Alcatraz are being put off until midesason.

At least we’ll finally get to see the potential trainwreck/potential monster success Terra Nova.

By: Tom296

05.16.2011 @ 3:48 PM

Fox dumps Lie to me, Chicago Code. and Human Target for a bunch of cartoons???…
there must be a bunch of ten year olds running the network..

By: Anonymous

05.16.2011 @ 4:40 PM

Uh, no. Sunday night has always been animated. Fox dumped those shows for Alcatraz/Terra Nova and The X Factor.

By: Tom296

05.16.2011 @ 3:54 PM

FOX dumps lie to me, chigago code and human target for a bunch of cartoons????….
there must be a bunch of 10 year olds running the network….. ill be renting a lot more movies come fall….. also get rid of the current writers for House or send him to celebrity rehab……

By: The Mongolian Cab Driver

05.16.2011 @ 9:53 PM

Before people complain about Fox devoting 2 nights to X-Factor. Let me just say that if they do the show the way it is in the UK, the results show is waaaay more entertaining than Idol’s. It’s a sing off between the bottom 2 contestants and they both do new material. The judges decide on the spot who stays and who goes. If the 4 judges split the vote, lowest audience vote getter goes home. I watched all of last season of the UK version. the results was often very compelling tv.